This is an archived copy of a post written by Conflict Of Justice (conflictofjustice.com). Used with permission: Conflict Of Justice may not agree with any alterations made.
Abraham has a strong connection with the Egyptian god Osiris, starting at an early age, when Abraham took the place of Osiris in the ‘Mysteries of Osiris’ related to Facsimile 1. Abraham consistently takes the place of Osiris in each of the three Facsimiles. People were commonly addressed as Osiris in the Egyptian rituals, and in literature we find “the patriarchs were sometimes addressed as deities.” We even see a piece of the hieroglyph for Osiris manipulated in Joseph Smith’s notebooks to become “Abraham.”
Joseph Smith’s investigation of the other three papyri started with the word Katumin. Through degrees of comparison between the scrolls, he settled on an explanation for this word Katumin–the Egyptian character for “speech”–as “a lineage that kept the records & knowledge of embalming.” Embalming fits the context of these scrolls, funerals and preparation for the afterlife. The bottom row of hieroglyphs of Facsimile 3, which Joseph Smith made sure to keep in the facsimile but did not translate, illustrates this: “O gods of the necropolis, gods of the caverns, gods of the south, north, west, and east, grant salvation to the Osiris Hor, the justified, born by Talkhibit.” This order of cardinal directions matches a chapter in the Book of Mormon about Abraham, except flipped around: ”I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath… For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south. I will judge the world every man according to their works, according to that which is written… I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever.” (2 Nephi 29)
The Book of Mormon consistently lists the cardinal directions as “north,south,east,west” except this one instance, so there must have been a reason for it. Considering Egyptian could read either right to left or left to right, it shouldn’t be surprising if the list of directions gets flipped.
The phrase “heavens and earth beneath” describes both the Egyptian and ancient American concept of the sacred cave. These “caverns” or burial chambers made special reference to the cardinal directions, judgement in the afterlife, and their posterity for future generations and godly creation, in both Egypt and early America. So if the Book of Abraham is a true book, it should come as no surprise when we find similarities between Abraham’s burial and how Osiris was treated in burial–and sacred burial in pre-Columbian America.
Giza Tomb Of Osiris
First, we go to the ancient city Giza, Egypt. In 1999, archaeologists made a startling discovery at the famous pyramids. They investigated vertical tunnels known as the ‘Osiris shaft’ below the causeway between the Great Pyramid and Sphinx. They called it the ‘Osiris shaft’ based on the “inventory stele” at the queen’s pyramid which located the Great Pyramid “northwest of the house of Osiris, Lord of Rosta.”
Egyptians dug this Osiris tomb complex during the Old Kingdom to give resurrecting power in the netherworld to the kings buried nearby. The shafts descended in a procession of three room, which is appropriate for “the Sun-god as journeying from cavern to cavern beneath the earth, passing through the realm of Osiris and brining light and joy to the dead who dwell there.” (James Breasted) The first vertical shaft leads to the “lobby” chamber A, then a shaft to chamber B with six niches for burials, and then a shaft to the Osiris tomb. Zahi A. Hawass of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said this Osiris tomb takes the form of a “rectangular pit” with a “sarcophagus in the middle surrounded by water in the shape of the pr sign.” This water trench surrounding the “island” with the sarcophagus is certainly very peculiar, as well as the four pillars on each corner of the island. I can’t think of anything like it.
But then again, Zahi Hawass points out that we can see a similar layout in the Osireion at Abydos, which is also a tomb of Osiris. The Osireion at Abydos, built much later, starts with a corridor to the “lobby” chamber, then a chamber with many niches, and then the inner chamber (see floorplan to the right). Hawass says the island represents the “primeval mound surrounded by the NVn” the sky God (firmament of waters). The water represents “Osiris’s role as god of vegetation and resurrection.”
Greek historian Herodotus described the Osiris shaft in his 5 BC account, so it wasn’t a secret. Apparently it was well known, and surely looted of anything precious. He said this was the tomb of Khufu, not the pyramid, which of course scholars reject today, but what if that is true? What if it was a burial place of the king? The kings were identified as Osiris in the Osiris Mysteries, and identified with Osiris in funeral rituals, so why couldn’t they be buried as Osiris? Well, we don’t know, but in any case, the Osiris shaft was created in the form of a burial complex.
World Tree – Osiris was called “Osiris, the seed and tree of life.” In the Egyptian myth, Isis hid the body of slain Osiris in the trunk of a tree until the tree split and he was resurrected. There was a transition in Egyptian theology “from the tree to the sacred post while in Egypt the oldest emblem of Osiris, the Djed-column, has the appearance of the pillar”–the trunk of a tree–“or four lotus-blossoms.” The world tree and four-petaled lotus are the same symbol for resurrection creation. Plutarch claimed the tree of Osiris was cut down and used as a pillar for the Byblos palace, much like the “world’s central tree” at the Phoenician palace. The four pillars on the island of the Osiris tomb apparently represent the Tree of Life inside the sacred cavern, the place of creation. But we also see symbolism of the pyramid itself, with its four sides, resembling the Tree of life. Scholars ask, “Is it possible this tree of life is the Great Pyramid?” The earth and world-tree is symbolized by the four-sided island surrounded by water, as well as the four-sided pyramid surrounded by desert.
On the side of the Osiris tomb chamber is a tunnel that leads “in an easterly direction towards the Sphinx.” Rumor has it these connect to tunnels that have been found leading down under the Sphinx itself, though this is unconfirmed.
When I saw this theory of connecting tunnels, it reminded me of the Cave of the Patriarchs in El-Haram. So now, let’s fly over to Jerusalem.
Cave Of The Patriarchs
The building above the Cave of the Patriarchs is said to have been built in the time of King Herod (though it is probably older), and it concealed the entrance to the burial complex until 119 A.D. when a crusader monk Arnulf discovered it. The bones of the patriarchs were plundered and sold to European pilgrims. In 1982, Jewish community spokesman Noam Arnon and his team snuck into the highly-restricted site near Jerusalem where Abraham was buried. The entrance is a vertical shaft above the cave, much like with the Osiris shaft. But they discovered a second entrance to the underground cave complex that connects down a long tunnel, again much like the Osiris shaft. The traditional entrance is a vertical shaft above chamber one, and then there are also stairs that lead from Hall of Isaac through the second entrance. They converge at Chamber A, which Arnulf the monk described as “a little hourse, like a basilica, made wonderfully and round, capable of holding around thirty people and covered on top by a single stone.” Here is how the underground complex looks from his description:
Compare this to the Osiris Shaft in Egypt:
Looks fairly similar. In fact, there are a lot of similarities to the Osiris shaft:
- 3 levels of shafts and chambers
- 6 niches for sarcophaguses in the second chamber
- Located below fields (Giza plateau vs. Machpelah)
- Heavily restricted access today
- 4 pillars above main tomb.
- Positioned relative to city above with the theme of “four.” Hebron was also known as Kirjathj-arba “city of four”, and Giza was a city of four-sided pyramids
- Date to around the same time
- Consider the overall sites. The Osiris complex is accessed at the causeway on the Giza plateau to the Great Pyramid. Abraham’s burial place is accessed at the Field of Machpelah, according to Genesis 23:20. Both are below fields, which is significant when you consider the afterlife involving a “field.”
- They both follow an axis leading to a tree symbol. The Field of Machpelah leads to Mamre “great oak tree.” The Giza causeway leads to the Great Pyramid, which as we have seen symbolizes the world tree, among other things.
- If the tunnel leading off from the Osiris chamber really does go to the Sphinx, that means both complexes are accessed from two openings. Also, the lion Sphinx lies above the possible second access-point in Egypt and is roughly the same dimensions as the Solomon-era structure above the Haram access-point: 240’x63’x66’ vs. 200’x115’x50’. This second entrance in Haram is at the Hall of Jacob, and Jacob called himself a lion in Genesis 49:9.
by Ericstoltz, creative commons license
Six Burial Chambers – Both sites proceed through three chambers, and the second chamber contains burials of six people. At El-Haram, the six chambers are for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. Arnulf found the bones of the patriarchs (now gone) and noticed “that the earth inside appeared to him as though sprinkled with blood” as if it was a site for sacrificing. He was careful to note that Abraham’s remains were found in the inmost chamber, wearing green clothes, while the rest were in Chamber B.
The above-ground building includes six cenotaphs to reflect these six burial niches. The building’s process axis also reflects the corridor that leads to the second chamber. So we know they made an effort to reflect on the form of the cave in the architecture above. So it is interesting, then, that the traditional entrance to the complex is a raised “island”, shaped like a lotus flower, and surrounded by four pillars. That’s probably just coincidence, but is it coincidence that these four pillars stand exactly above the passage between the first and second cave? Note also that this pavilion turns into a Corinthian column at the top, which is interesting considering the Corinthian column is based on a tree growing out of a tomb, bringing us again back to the sacred tree of life.
Four Directions – The four cardinal directions are extremely important to Abraham, and they show up in each of the Book of Abraham facsimiles. As we pointed out, the central figure 1 of Facsimile 2 is always shown with four heads to represent the four quarters of the earth. And then we see the four sons of Horus, representing the four quarters of the earth, supporting the funeral couch of Abraham/Osiris in Facsimile 1. There, they are the four quarters, lands, and peoples who support and help in the ritual Sed-festival revivification of the king. In Facsimile 2, they appear to be represent the delivering of the power, authority, and governance of god to the four quarters, lands, and peoples–symbolized by the four heads of the River Eden that the Book of Abraham talks about.
We also see “four directions” in God’s covenant with Abraham, for him to “walk the land” that he and his posterity would inherit. We know also, “Abraham’s tent was open in four directions to allow strangers to enter freely into his home.” This is why it is so important that the four quarters of the earth play such a prominent role in these Facsimiles and the architecture above Abraham’s burial cave, (as well as the first complex chamber which is four-sided) suggesting their universal significance to the entire world: ”Abraham is at a crossroads… people come from the four points of the compass. Similarly in T. Job 8:6-7, they come from all regions, ‘and the four doors of my house were open’… presents Abraham as surpassing Job: the patriarch went looking for wayfarers.” (Dale Allison)
Not only did Abraham make himself the center of the four quarters of the earth, he went out and actively sought for people in need. The four-quartered hypocephalus is a perfect symbol for Abraham.
Now, it is not unusual for important buildings to be built above sacred caves. The Potala Palace in Tibet was built above the sacred cave of Songtsan Gambo, for example. It was also not unusual to be buried near a tree.
But over in pre-Columbian America we find a very detailed similarity to the Osiris shaft. Archaeologists have found a tunnel at the causeway leading to the Pyramid of the sun in Teotihuacan. So let’s fly over to Teotihuacan near Mexico City.
Teotihuacan Tunnel Under Pyramid
In Teotihuacan, we find a city full of enormous pyramids with a processional main axis called the “avenue of the dead.” Like with the site in Egypt and the site in El-haram, we see fields lying before the pyramids. Like the pyramids in Giza, the American pyramids are aligned to the sun at the equinoxes. The main pyramid is known as the Pyramid of the Sun, and we find the same imagery as Egypt where the sun enters the Osiris chamber for rebirth.
Do we find a tunnel below the Avenue of the Dead, like the Osiris shaft below the causeway? Why, yes we do! In 1975, archaeologists discovered a cave under Pyramid of the Sun with a tunnel connecting from the pyramid’s front. It proceeds very similarly to the passageways inside the Egyptian pyramids, but in function resembles the Osiris shaft in front of the pyramid. This cave is called “Place of the House of Maize.” Maize was a symbol of creation for the ancient Americans, with the Popul Vohl creation gods emerging from maize like how Osiris emerged from the tree. In ancient America, “caves are thought by some indigenous people to house the maize god.” Maize gods also assume the color green to symbolize creation, much like the green color of Osiris and the green shroud around Abraham’s body. So this name “House of Maize” is pretty much identical to the Osiris Shaft’s name “house of Osiris, Lord of Rosta (aka cave).”
Like the three levels of the Osiris shaft, the cave tunnel descends in three levels, thought to represent the three levels of the ancient American concept of the universe. By examining this symbolism, we can discern why the Abraham cave and the Osiris shaft may descend in three steps: to represent the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial. Kinda like the LDS temple.
The mid-level part of the Teotihuacan cave contains two niches, and the lowest level contains four niches (for the four quarters of the earth), making a total of six niches. These four niches in the lowest chamber surround a center point in a lotus pattern, like the four pillars in Egypt and El-haram.
Waters Of Creation – Perhaps the most shocking similarity to Osiris is the use of water symbolism. Archaeologists found evidence that water was directed into this tunnel, perhaps to represent the water deity Ixchel, the chaos of creation. Scholars believe the Teotihuacan cave represents “initial creation of the universe from a watery void.” The water was all dried up by the time archaeologists go to it. But a few years ago, archaeologists made an important discovery: another tunnel leading from the Avenue of the Dead to the ground under a pyramid. This second tunnel provides a great opportunity to learn about the symbolism because it hasn’t been plundered of its artifacts and its water hasn’t dried up.
Feathered Serpent Tunnel – We have talked about the similarities between Quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent god and Jesus Christ. It’s hard to ignore. Skeptics argue that Quetzalcoatl was based on descriptions by European Conquistadors of Christianity, but discoveries like this cave beneath the pyramid of Quetzalcoatl prove that this similarities to Christianity existed long, long ago.
In the Feathered Serpent tunnel, we find the same three descending levels. It ends directly beneath the center of the pyramid, which has left scientists baffled as to how the builders determined this exact center. However they did it, this is significant, as this Feathered Serpent pyramid is the exact center of the entire city. We find a cross-shape of niches in the lowest chamber, which is important because the cross represented to ancient Americans the world tree or lotus. Again, we come back to the tree of life. The ancient American world tree performs the same function as in Egyptian mythology, as a space between this life and the after-realm.
Scientists discovered mercury on the walls of the tunnel, which “served as symbolic representations of water,” and minerals which represented “standing amid the stars.” This connection with water deity is certainly compelling, but we also have the fact that the lowest chamber was submerged half-way in water. Like in the Osiris shaft, an underground lake of water symbolized the universe emerging from the watery void. They dug down to below the water line so that the tunnel would be permanently filled with water, just like with the Osiris shaft.
Four Statues – There are only four niches this time, but this tunnel has a powerful symbol of four: four statues representing the four quarters of the earth, all facing in a rectangular arrangement inward to the very center of the chamber, which is the center of the pyramid, which is the center of the city. Scientists describe these statues as “Greeters, or Witnesses” who “mark the location of the axis mundi, the ‘world tree’ that connects the three tiered worlds.” Sergio Gomez Chavez, who worked on the excavation, said “this is where the underworld and heavens meet.” (see ‘Secrets of the Dead’) Are these four statues the same as the four statues we see in Facsimile 1 standing as witnesses for the great sacrifice of Abraham?
These stunning “four 60-centimeter-tall jade statues” are green, and lots of other green imagery has been found amidst the tunnel. Imported jade and obsidian blades for sacrificing were found 80 yards from the entrance. They also found evidence of sacrifices, like the evidence of sacrifices found at Abraham’s cave.
Elsewhere in Teotihuacan, archaeologists uncovered a sacred mural that illustrates the symbolism of these tunnels. It shows channels of water and red (perhaps blood) entering the sacred mountain from the sides and this bursting out the top like a volcano with people and all creation. They called this a fountain of souls springing up, Chicomoztoc:
by Teseum, creative commons license
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Father Abraham – The similarities to Egypt and Abraham are too great to ignore. But why? Why would ancient Americans who somehow related to descendants of Lehi carry on this ancient symbolism from the Old World in their great civic architecture? Well, just read what the Book of Mormon has to say about Abraham: “And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham.” (Ether 13)
They took this symbolism of the four quarters and atonement through sacrifice seriously. They took seriously the idea that they were Abraham’s seed and of the house of Israel. How better to symbolize being of the house of Israel and Abraham than to build a literal house as part of your temple? They believed that their judgement in the afterlife would hinge on being part of Abraham’s seed, much like the Egyptians sought to be justified by Osiris. I believe this is why we see the same architecture and symbolism show up in three wildly different places in the ancient world: Egypt, Jerusalem, and Mexico.
Lehi’s Dream – The imagery in Lehi’s dream in the Book of Mormon shows us how this symbolism carried across time and continents. In Lehi’s dream, we find a strait and narrow path leading through a field to the tree of life–like the causeway or avenue of the dead leading through the Giza plateau, Machpelah field, or Teotihuacan valley to the pyramid or Mamre great oak. We find the fountain of water Lehi spoke of which either provides life or drowns the wicked. The judgement and justice of God determines their fate. We see all the scattered peoples of the earth gathering in an attempt to reach this tree.
If we are going to look for uniquely Mormon concepts of Abraham as evidence for the Book of Abraham, what better place to look than the burial cave of Abraham? I’m surprised that I haven’t read any scholars in the church look at this. Few know that this Cave of the Patriarchs exists, much less know where to look to find clues for Mormon ideas. I think it’s in the architecture. The Egyptian influence is hard to ignore, and when you consider the connection between Abraham and Osiris (which Antimormons complain so much about) you find rich symbolism that edifies our understanding of father Abraham. This is a subject that I hope scholars start to look at, and I will continue to look into. There is a lot more here waiting to be found.